Golf tee



April 14, 1931. I KRAFFT 1,800,647

GOLF TEE Filed Aug. 1, 1929 f I 7 C} 5" 9 figaiyfvrap 3/ Jul Patented Apr. 14, 1931 BERT HENRY KRAFFT, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS GOLF TEE Application filed August 1, 1929. Serial No. 382,649.

This invention relates to golf tees and its object is to provide a substitute or auxiliary device for the conventional damp sand or earth tee used in the game. With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application for patent and in which- Fig. 1 is a side View of the tee illustrating its application.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tee.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the tee with the support arm shown in an altered position.

Like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

There are many objections to the common golf tee as now employed. Contact of the club with the tee which frequently happens, impairs the stroke and frequently causes the ball to describe a curve in its flight thus causing the player to unwantonly put the English on the ball. The fact that all common "tees are not uniform in size frequently causes a ood la er to tee off oorl throu 11 no faiilt of hiis It is the plii'pos of the pres ent invention to remedy this matter. Frequently the players club will drive particles of earth, composing the common tee, through the air making it difficult to follow the course of the ball with the result that balls are frequently lost.

The present invention comprises a stem adapted to be sunk or planted in the earth until the head of the stem comes flush with the earth top surface, and a rotary lug spaced above the head and carrying a support arm adapted to project outwardly from said lug and head a substantial distance to receive, upon its free end, the golf ball which is there supported above the surface of the green in position for the stroke.

The reference numeral 1 denotes the stem of the tee which is formed with a pointed termination 2, the upper portion being of relatively thick construction, round in cross section, and tapered toward said point, a neck-3 of contracted diameter being formed at the upper end of the stem and terminating in the flattened end 4:. Fast upon the stem 1 is the head 5, disc-like in shape, formed with the tubular extension 6 that snugly receives the upper portion of said stem immediately below the neck 3, said extension 6 serving as a pedestal for the elongated rotary lug 7 through which the neck portion of the stem'passes, said lug being retained upon the neck by the flattened end 4.- of the stem. Through a perforation 8, disposed at right angles to the stem, the hook end 9 of a support arm 10 extends, said arm terminating at its free or outer end in an eye 11, the complete arm being preferably formed of a strand of medium weight steel wire or like material. The lug 7 is formed with a laterally extending lip 12 that in one position of the arm 10 serves as a support therefor as shown in Fig. 2.

When the arm 10 is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 it is disposed at right angles to the stem 1 and is supported by the said lip 12 and from this position it is capable of movement through an arc of more than degrees or until its eye 11 would rest upon the ground upon the opposite side of the stem to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and rotation of the lug 7, of course, causes movement therewith of said arm.

In use the stem is planted in the earth as shown in Fig. 1 with the arm 10 supported by the lip 12. The golf ball 13 is now placed, in position for .the stroke,'upon the eye 11. When the club contacts with the ball it may tee it without disturbing the arm 10 or, should it contact therewith, it

may cause the arm and lug 7 to rotate about the stem'l, the arm possibly being moved or driven to the opposite side of the stem out of engagement with the lip 12. A clean stroke is thus always possible with the use of this tee; it cannot easily be lost and the ball supported byit is always disposed at the same distance above the level of the green. iVhat is claimed is 10 l. Ina golf tee, a stem having one pointed end and a neck portion at its opposite end, a head fast upon said stem below said neck, a tubular extension formed upon said head and encircling said stein and extendingfrom said head to said neck portion, a lug pivotallv mounted to the said neck and seated upon said extension, a lip integral with said lug-and extending laterally therefrom, and an arm having one hook-shaped end and extending o0 pivotally through said lug, the free end of said hook resting, in one position of said arm, upon saidlip whereby said arm is positioned at right angles to said stem, the opposite end of said arm terminating in an eye, said arm being movable through an arc of more than 180 degrees from said position to permit its eye-forming termination to engage with the ground. 4

2. In a golf tee, a stem, a fixed head adjacent the upper end thereof. a lug pivotally carried bysaid stem and spaced above said head, a lip for said. lug extending laterally therefrom, and an arm carried by said lug and in'one position resting upon said lip said arm being movable from said position through an arc of more than 180 degrees whereby to cause one end thereof to contact with the ground. Y In testimony that I claim the foregoing 40 as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

I BERT HENRY KRAFFT.

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